Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: relationships between severity and sex.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a pathological condition characterized by frequent episodes of collapse of the structures of the upper airways with interruption of airflow and reduction of oxygen saturation in arterial blood. Its incidence is about 4% in men and 2% in females in the population up to 65 years of age. The severity of OSAS is determined by an index that combines the number of apneic events per hour of sleep "apneahypopnea index" (in English AHI: apnea-hypopnea index). As the muscle tone of the body ordinarily relaxes during sleep, and the airway at the throat is composed of walls of soft tissue, which can collapse, it is not surprising that breathing may be obstructed during sleep. Common signs of OSA are : unexplained daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, and loud snoring (with periods of silence followed by gasps). Less common symptoms are : morning headaches, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, mood changes such as irritability, anxiety and depression, loss of memory, increased heart rate and/or blood pressuredecreased sex drive, unexplained weight gain, increased urination and/or nocturia, frequent heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease, and heavy night sweats. The gold standard for the diagnosis of OSAS is polysomnography. Objectives: The aim of our study is to evaluate the influence of sex on disease onset and severity . Methods: The sample underwent a visit for the evaluation of any anatomical abnormalities of the first airways, which could cause or aggravate the disease. Patients were administered a questionnaire for the evaluation of disorders through the Epworth sleepiness scale, which measures daytime sleepiness. We also used polysomnography for the disease diagnosis and staging . Results: The results obtained reveal that the ratio between the apnea/Hypopnea episodes per hour of sleep and sex is not statistically significant (p>0.05), despite the greater prevalence of OSAS in males than in females, with a 3:1ratio. Discussion and Conclusions: The results of our study are that men are at greater risk of developing OSAS than women with a 3:1ratio, while the severity of the disease does not appear to be related to sex. Thus, our study confirms the existing literature showing a 5:1 onset ratio of the disease in males versus females.